Brave Burn’s return after breaking back

DAN Burn has revealed his determination to get back into action for injury-hit Newcastle United after admitting he played on just six weeks after breaking three bones in his back.

The stand-in Magpies skipper missed seven matches but returned just before Christmas, battling on through the pain barrier for his club.

Burn also endured a rocky spell in the Premier League where a series of mistakes in big games resulted in some fans calling for him to be dropped.

Eddie Howe responded by not only retaining Burn in his line-up but handing him the captain’s armband. In a season that has been badly hit by Newcastle injuries, Burn believes he had little choice but to return to the team earlier despite the serious back problem.

Burn (right) said: “I’m good now, it took a little while to get going. I probably came back a little earlier than I should have.

“I think it was something that just had to be done, Longy (Sean Longstaff) had to play through injuries and stuff. So it took a while to get into a rhythm again but now I feel really good.

“I fell on my back and fractured three bones in my back. Essentially a broken back, it was agony and tough, you can’t really run off a broken back!

“I came back within six weeks and wouldn’t have pushed myself through it if I didn’t feel good. I’ll not be the only person who has done that for Newcastle this season.” Burn suffered some intense criticism, particularly online, but has responded with some strong showings at centre-back – and as captain he is aiming to lead the team back into Europe.

Burn told beIN Sport: “It’s tough because people only say what they see on a Saturday. They don’t see the work that gets put in during the week.

“And what people put into it to be ready to play Saturday, they just see the final product. If you don’t perform to a level people expect you are always under criticism.

“I went through a spell where I had a few bad games admittedly against very fast players. I still back myself against those players.

“It was one of them whenever I made a mistake we conceded a big chance or a goal. That’s the way it looks, it creates a narrative that people get on.”